Techmeme: Sources detail Google's troubles with game development as the company couldn't stomach the complicated creative process amid Stadia's poor streaming numbers (Cecilia D'Anastasio/Wired)

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February 27, 2021, 9:55 AM

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Jason Schreier / Bloomberg:

Inside Google Stadia's failure as sources say it missed targets for controller sales and MAUs by hundreds of thousands after spending tens of millions on games — The tech giant likes to test and tweak. Stadia promised to change the industry and failed to deliver.

Cecilia D'Anastasio / Wired:

Sources detail Google's troubles with game development as the company couldn't stomach the complicated creative process amid Stadia's poor streaming numbers — The tech giant hired 150 game developers for Stadia Games and Entertainment, only to lay them all off. Sources say it never gave the studios a chance.

More: XDA Developers, PC Gamer, Droid Life, Gamasutra, and The Verge

Tweets: @kyleorl, @cecianasta, @film_girl, @vicious696, and @knowsworthy

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

Facebook's NPE division launches BARS, a TikTok-like app for rappers to create and share their raps using professionally created beats, in closed beta — Facebook's internal R&D group, NPE Team, is today launching its next experimental app, called BARS. The app makes it possible for rappers …

CNN:

In a hearing with US lawmakers, ex-SolarWinds CEO blamed an intern for the “solarwinds123” password leak discovered in 2019 that had exposed a SolarWinds server — FireEye CEO on how the SolarWinds hack was discovered — Washington (CNN)Current and former top executives …

Tweets: @cnn, @joshbal4, @msuiche, @hexadecim8, @jeffelder, @acdha, @dangillmor, @joeuchill, @internetofshit, @fuzztech, @samnewman, @internetofshit, @racheltobac, @h4uk3, @gregmcneilly, @garius, @sil, @kateoflaherty, @mattmartingft, @ldrogen, and @devblackops

Andrew Liszewski / Gizmodo:

Genealogy tracker MyHeritage releases Deep Nostalgia, a Live Photo-like feature for old photos, which uses AI to show subjects prepping for their portrait — It's hard to feel connected to someone who's gone through a static photo. So a company called MyHeritage who provides automatic AI …

More: MyHeritage, Boing Boing, The Next Web, Input, DesignTAXI, BBC, and TechCrunch

Tweets: @henshaw, @myheritage, @stearnslab, @stearnslab, @claudiastellar, @bucphs, and @kriswilliams

Bloomberg:

The SEC suspends trading of 15 lesser-known stocks after suspicious social media promotion raised concerns that their stock prices were artificially inflated — - Wall Street watchdog temporarily halts trading in 15 stocks — Regulator says it's actively monitoring online message boards

More: U.S. Securities … and Reuters

Tweets: @warrendavidson, @petermccormack, and @excellion

Michelle Price / Reuters:

Analysis finds bots programmatically hyping “meme” stocks across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, but did not measure their influence — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bots on major social media platforms have been hyping up GameStop Corp and other “meme” stocks …

More: Finbold and New York Post

Tweets: @timcast, @warmoth, @hkanji, @theworldsamine, and @mukund. Thanks:@chrismessina

Marlow Stern / The Daily Beast:

Advanced deepfakes of Tom Cruise are going viral on TikTok, with the account deeptomcruise amassing 200K+ followers in a few days — FOR THE LOVE OF XENU — Be afraid. Be very afraid. — Three days ago, a TikTok account going by @deeptomcruise began posting video clips …

Bloomberg:

Sources: Robinhood is planning to confidentially file for an IPO as soon as next month — Robinhood Markets Inc., the trading platform behind the boom-and-bust swing in GameStop Corp.'s shares, plans to file confidentially for an initial public offering as soon as March, according to people familiar with the matter.

More: Crowdfund Insider. Tweets: @katie_roof, @fxhedgers, @fedporn, and @newsynick

Cade Metz / New York Times:

How Anduril and other startups are building military ready, self-piloted drones, away from Silicon Valley, where such projects have become politically untenable — While much has been made of tech's unwillingness to work with the Pentagon, start-ups are still plumbing the industry's decades-long ties to the military.

Meaghan Tobin / Rest of World:

Experts say lessons marketed by digital education platforms like Byju's and Yuanfudao are more an innovation in test-prep delivery than in learning outcomes — Investors have poured billions of dollars into digital education platforms like Byju's and Yuanfudao. But are students learning anything?

Tweets: @restofworld, @telliotter, @decka227, @restofworld, @restofworld, @anupkaphle, @restofworld, and @lmatsakis

Tage Kene-Okafor / TechCrunch:

Interview with co-CEO of Jumia, whose stock is up 3,000%+ in the last year, on African e-commerce, the company's path to profitability, and more — This month, African e-commerce giant Jumia released its second full-year financials for Q4 and its fiscal year 2020.

Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge:

Twitter announces Super Follow feature to let users charge for tweets, and a Communities feature to let users create and join groups based on specific interests — It's also planning a groups feature — Twitter announced a pair of big upcoming features today: the ability for users to charge …

More: Forbes, OneZero , Android Headlines, techadvisor.co.uk, KnowTechie, Politico, Bloomberg, Gizchina, Adweek, Android Police, MacRumors, Financial Times, Silicon Republic, XDA Developers, Firstpost Tech, Twitter, Inc., Pocket-lint, New York Times, SiliconANGLE, Daring Fireball, The Next Web, Techpoint Africa, The Verge, USA Today, ZDNet, Tubefilter, Newser, and TechCrunch

Tweets: @wongmjane, @samleecole, @sethabramson, @caseynewton, @wongmjane, @jeremiahlee, @mikedrucker, @mshannahmurphy, @sarafischer, @jmbooyah, @jayrosen_nyu, @timherrera, @eliothiggins, @timmaughan, @btrillaaa, @rkrigney, @malwaretechblog, @derekjgz, @stpaulsaints, @matthewstoller, @megturney, @kateconger, @ed_solomon, @ryangrim, @umairh, @mjmckean, @wroetoshaw, @edmundlee, @caro_milanesi, @dbreunig, @alexstamos, @film_girl, @alexrkonrad, @fmanjoo, @odannyboy, @kfury, @ohmdee, @sbyrnes, @caseynewton, @delrey, @inafried, @inafried, @liahaberman, @brianpoliakoff, @jessedamiani, @dianelyssa, @imbeccable, @luulubuu, @c_davies, @tomgara, @dcseifert, @shiraovide, @stevenspohn, @scottbelsky, @reneritchie, @taylorlorenz, @digiphile, @andyrichter, @jasminelwatkins, @chrislhayes, @mgsiegler, @hshaban, @jericho, @theryanford, @philipmichaels, @taylorlorenz, @_cingraham, @kurtwagner8, @jamestitcomb, @fmanjoo, @taylorlorenz, @sidharthajha, @kurtwagner8, @carnage4life, and @kurtwagner8

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This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 9:55 AM ET, February 27, 2021.

The most current version of the site as always is available at our home page. To view an earlier snapshot click here and then modify the date indicated.

From Mediagazer

Alex Ritman / Variety:

In Channel 4's 2025 Alternative Christmas Message, Jimmy Kimmel said “tyranny is booming” in the US and, on his ABC suspension, “We won, the president lost”

Henry Blodget / Regenerator:

Bari Weiss' 60 Minutes decision may have been a way to both signal that she's serious about shifting CBS' sensibility to the right and “improve” a story

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Trump says Stephen Colbert is a “pathetic trainwreck” and “CBS should, ‘put him to sleep,’ NOW”, after CBS aired a Late Show rerun in which Colbert mocked Trump

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More News

John Beck / Rest of World:

Social media platforms are struggling with how to handle ISIS-related fundraising campaigns, which are often slipping through by disguising as humanitarianism

Tweets: @iethics, @restofworld, @restofworld, @charles_lister, @restofworld, @anupkaphle, @restofworld, @restofworld, @restofworld, and @anupkaphle

Todd Feathers / VICE:

Some schools and organizations are abandoning exam monitoring software made by Proctorio amid a barrage of complaints from students over privacy

Tweets: @motherboard, @fightfortheftr, @hypervisible, @eff, and @zenalbatross

John D. McKinnon / Wall Street Journal:

Sources: Biden admin plans to allow a Trump-era rule in March enabling Commerce Dept. to ban tech business transactions with China it feels are security threats

Tweets: @niubi

Bloomberg:

Sources: SentinelOne, which develops AI-based endpoint security for all devices and services in a network, is preparing for an IPO that could value it at $10B+

Justine Calma / The Verge:

Google is sharing data about distortions in light waves passing through its undersea cables with seismologists to help them detect earthquakes

More: Science. Tweets: @aparanjape and @quinnypig

Tiffany Hsu / New York Times:

The use of “+” to name on-demand services was fine when streaming was new but has become a cliché and a minus

More: Gizmodo and iMore

Tweets: @davidsable, @tiffkhsu, @kantrowitz, @harrymccracken, @michellemanafy, @robpegoraro, @shiraovide, and @carlquintanilla

Earlier Picks

Brian Heater / TechCrunch:

Fi, whose connected dog collars send users notifications when their dogs travel out of AI-determined geofenced areas, raises $30M Series B at a $200M valuation

Tweets: @sorayadarabi, @gokulr, @katepmcandrew, @dflieb, and @jackiereses

Nathaniel Meyersohn / CNN:

Best Buy says it laid off 5,000 workers and will close more stores as it expects 40% of sales to come from online purchases this year, up from 19% two years ago

More: investors.bestbuy.com, Liliputing, Slashdot, USA Today, PCMag, PYMNTS.com, TWICE, and Investor's Business Daily. Tweets: @ginnymarvin

Tim Anderson / The Register:

Security researcher finds seven embedded trackers in the Android app for LastPass password manager; LastPass says users can opt out if they want

More: Forbes, BGR, TechRadar, The Verge, CNET, iPhone in Canada Blog, HotHardware.com News, AppleInsider, Android Headlines, Android Police, PCMag, and Tom's Guide

Tweets: @howelloneill, @adam_k_levin, @rstephens, @seanwrightsec, and @troyhunt

Cecilia Kang / New York Times:

FCC approves a $50/month high-speed internet subsidy for low-income households and a one-time discount of up to $100 on a computer or tablet for eligible homes

More: Federal Communications Commission, The Verge, FCC, The Hill, CNN, Newser, SlashGear, Gizmodo, CNET, TechSpot, KnowTechie, Cord Cutters News, and Washington Post

Tweets: @senangusking, @fcc, @frankcatalano, @novellogab, @novellogab, @axios, @frankpallone, @rizzn, @jrosenworcel, @geoffreystarks, @darian314, @annielowrey, and @ericklinenberg

Vignesh Ramachandran / Stanford News:

Researchers identify causes for Zoom fatigue: intense close-up eye contact, constantly seeing own reflection, reduced mobility, and increased cognitive load

Tom Warren / The Verge:

Microsoft confirms it has fixed a five-hour Xbox Live outage which prevented some users from signing in or making purchases

More: Thurrott, The Independent, and BGR India

Tweets: @xboxsupport, @xboxsupport, and @tomwarren

Ryan Mac / BuzzFeed News:

Facebook's Andrew Bosworth told staff that Facebook is considering building facial recognition into future smart glasses products, weighing legal implications

More: MacRumors, Input, Insider, New York Post, OneZero , Gizmodo, Patently Apple, PYMNTS.com, CNBC, and CNET